Two North Carolina high schools to be ‘redesigned’ for 100 percent graduation rates

CREEDMOOR, NC and LAURINBURG, NC . – Two rural North Carolina high schools aim to graduate 100 percent of their students, employing technology to increase engagement and transform teaching and learning. Using data to guide and strengthen learning, teaching, online curriculum and one-to-one computing, South Granville and Scotland High Schools embody educational innovation in the state.

The schools are the first participants in Redesigned Schools 2.0, a collaborative partnership among SAS, the North Carolina New Schools Project (NCNSP), the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and the two school districts to create highly successful schools that demonstrate effective, technology-enhanced teaching practices. Corporate partners Cisco and Intel are lending support.

“Thanks to an innovative partnership between the public and private sectors, we have an opportunity to reinvent K-12 education in North Carolina and become a model for other states,” said State Superintendent June Atkinson.

“These schools and their districts have distinguished themselves as pioneers in their willingness to create learning environments that will, over time, graduate every student fully prepared for college and work,” added Bill Harrison, Chairman of the NC State Board of Education.

More than 150 MacBooks, funded by SAS, have been given to teachers at both schools along with professional development to help effectively integrate the new technology into the curriculum. Intel is contributing significant resources that will support evaluations and assessments for teachers and students. Cisco is donating product and services to support connectivity in the schools.

Redesigned Schools 2.0 is built on the best practices and lessons learned from the successful North Carolina 1:1 Learning Technology Initiative (NCLTI).

“The work of the NC New Schools Project, SAS, the Friday Institute, Golden LEAF and local districts through the NCLTI pilot demonstration program set a precedent for how leaders in North Carolina must work together to transform schools and to connect them to the emerging economy,” said Tony Habit, President of the NC New Schools Project.

Available at no cost to students and teachers, SAS Curriculum Pathways is an online resource that provides interactive, engaging, standards-based content in the core academic disciplines of English, mathematics, social studies, science and Spanish for grades 8-12.

SAS OnDemand for K-12 empowers administrators to confidently make informed decisions across their school districts. The hosted service pulls together information important to district leaders - such as attendance, enrollment and discipline data - and analyzes it in a secure environment, hosted by SAS.

SAS EVAAS delivers rigorous analyses of student test scores to predict the likelihood of students reaching critical attainment levels on end-of-grade testing, the SAT and tests required for high school graduation. Used in 20 states – statewide in Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina – it also assesses the influence of districts, schools and teachers on student progress rates and enables personalized educational planning at the student level.

“I’m excited to see what can be accomplished when, for the first time, all of SAS’ K-12 offerings are brought together, combined with one-to-one learning and guided by a new vision of education. It would not be possible without the bold leadership of the superintendents and the generosity of our partners,” said SAS CEO Jim Goodnight.

“This project will help us level the playing field for our students and is another important step toward improved educational outcomes for all,” said Scotland County Schools Superintendent Rick Stout.

Added Granville County Schools Superintendent Timothy Farley, “We in Granville County Schools are excited by the unlimited possibilities that our partnership will bring to the students, teachers and the community at large. Ultimately, our students will have the opportunity to compete on an international level for 21st century careers.”